This invention relates to a combination bed and table.
The specification of the applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,856 describes an article of furniture which comprises first and second support members and at least one planar member supported by at least one of the support members. The support members are movable between first positions at which the planar member is substantially horizontally and forms a working top, and second positions at which the support members provide at least part of a sleeping surface.
The aforementioned American patent specification illustrates in FIGS. 2 and 3 two preferred embodiments. In the FIG. 2 embodiment use is made of filler cushions or a bridging piece to ensure that the sleeping surface which is formed by a number of cushions is substantially co-planar.
In the FIG. 3 embodiment a connecting piece which is positioned between the two support members is brought to a co-planar relationship with the support members when the article of furniture is in a bed mode. However this particular feature, which is most desirable, is only achieved at the expense of a deviation from standard dimensions of the bed or table. Thus it has been found that the connecting piece has a relatively narrow dimension which leads to the overall length of the bed being reduced to a shorter bed length than is normally acceptable. If the lengths of the support members are increased to compensate for this reduction then the article of furniture, when in the table mode, has a height which is greater than the standard accepted height.
On the other hand if the two support members have standard heights which are acceptable when in the table mode and the width of the connecting member is increased so that the overall length of the bed is an acceptable standard length then, when the article of furniture is in the table mode, the width of the pedestal which supports the planar member which acts as a working top, is too great and it is not possible to be comfortably seated at the table, because of inadequate leg room.